Yosemite National Park's Best Hikes: From Easy to Epic

Hike the very best trails in one of the most famous—and most popular—natural areas in the world: Yosemite National Park.

Greg Heil

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Half Dome at Yosemite National Park

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View of Half Dome

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The Rope Line at Half Dome

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More Steps

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Top of Half Dome

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Wanderung in Kalifornien: Four Mile Trail – vom Glacier Point zum Yosemite Valley Outdooractive

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El Capitan im Yosemite Valley am Start der Busfahrt Outdooractive Editors

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Blick vom Bus auf die berühmte Ansicht de El Capitan Outdooractive Editors

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Auf dem Weg zum Glacier Point, Aussicht auf den Half Dome Outdooractive Editors

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Imbiss und Souvenir-Shop am Glacier Point Outdooractive Editors

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Aussicht auf den Half Dome Outdooractive Editors

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Am Glacier Point, Aussicht auf den Half Dome Outdooractive Editors

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Am Glacier Point, Aussicht auf den Half Dome Outdooractive Editors

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Am Glacier Point, Aussicht auf den Half Dome Outdooractive Editors

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Am Glacier Point, Aussicht auf den Yosemite Fall Outdooractive Editors

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Am Startpunkt des Four Mile Trail Outdooractive Editors

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Ausblick vom Four Mile Trail auf den Half Dome Outdooractive Editors

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Ausblick vom Four Mile Trail über das Yosemite Valley Outdooractive Editors

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Ausblick vom Four Mile Trail zum El Capitan Outdooractive Editors

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Auf dem Four Mile Trail Outdooractive Editors

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Hiking the Four Mile Trail Outdooractive Editors

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Auf dem Four Mile Trail Outdooractive Editors

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Wegweiser zum Union Point Outdooractive Editors

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Am Aussichtspunkt Union Point Outdooractive Editors

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Am Aussichtspunkt Union Point Outdooractive Editors

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Am Aussichtspunkt Union Point, Blick zum Half Dome Outdooractive Editors

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Am Aussichtspunkt Union Point, Blick nach Osten Outdooractive Editors

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Auf dem Four Mile Trail Outdooractive Editors

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Auf dem Four Mile Trail Outdooractive Editors

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Auf dem Four Mile Trail Outdooractive Editors

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Durch das Yosemite Valley Outdooractive Editors

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Landschaft im Yosemite Valley Outdooractive Editors

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Brücke über den Merced River Outdooractive Editors

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Merced River im Yosemite Valley Outdooractive Editors

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Trail through Yosemite Valley Outdooractive Editors

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The arch atop Indian Rock

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Peering through the trees at Half Dome

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Looking up at the summit of North Dome

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View across the Valley to Clouds Rest and Half Dome

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El Capitan and Yosemite Valley seen from Taft Point

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On the trail nearing Taft Point

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Taft Point

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Yosemite Falls seen from Taft Point

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Upper Yosemite Fall

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On the Yosemite Falls Trail

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View across the valley from Yosemite Falls Trail

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Bridalveil Fall from a distance

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Hiking along the stream to the waterfall

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Looking up through the mist

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At the base of the fall

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Looking down from Clouds Rest into Yosemite Valley

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Half Dome viewed from Clouds Rest

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Walking along the spine of Clouds Rest

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Looking back at the trails starting point, Tenaya Lake

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Yosemite Valley, as seen from Glacier Point Greg Heil

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Vernal Fall

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Hiking in the spray of the waterfall

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At the top of Vernal Fall

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On the Mist Trail next to Nevada Fall

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Nevada Fall and Liberty Cap seen from the John Muir Trail

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The view of Vernal and Nevada Falls from Panorama Trail

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On the Panorama Trail, with Half Dome and Clouds Rest in the distance

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The top of Illilouette Fall

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Elevated view of Liberty Cap and Nevada Fall from Panorama Trail

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Cathedral Peak from afar

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Climbing Cathedral Peak Second climber following on Cathedral Peak

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Nearing the summit

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View from Cathedral Peak

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Description

Yosemite National Park is easily one of the most famous—and most popular—natural reserves of undeveloped land in the world. While the millions of visitors the park receives every year can seem daunting, when you do choose to brave the crowds you’ll find that if there’s any place in the world that lives up to the hype, it’s Yosemite.

"First protected in 1864, Yosemite National Park is best known for its waterfalls, but within its nearly 1,200 square miles, you can find deep valleys, grand meadows, ancient giant sequoias, a vast wilderness area, and much more,” writes the National Park Service. In addition, Yosemite is internationally famous for the towering granite cliffs that provide some of the very best rock climbing in the world. Even if you don’t rock climb, the views of the cliffs are absolutely incredible! And thankfully, you can still make it to the top of the most iconic mountain in the Yosemite Valley—Half Dome—without braving a technical climbing route. You’ll find the iconic Half Dome cables route in this guidebook.

With waterfall hikes, the climb to the top of Half Dome, hikes to other jaw-dropping viewpoints, multi-day backpacking trips, and even the John Muir Trail, this guidebook is chock full of incredible routes that will provide you with enough adventure to fill trip after trip to Yosemite!

Sources:
https://www.nps.gov/yose/index.htm

Adventures

Half Dome Day Hike

An exciting hike to the summit of one of North America's most iconic peaks.

John Muir Trail

Thru hike of the California’s Sierra Nevada, linking the most impressive alpine scenery from Yosemite National Park to Mount Whitney.

North Dome Loop

Forest hike to the rim of Yosemite Valley at one of its greatest viewpoints

Taft Point

A hike through the forest to a panoramic viewpoint over Yosemite Valley.

Panorama Trail

Hike at the brink of a huge waterfall and along the precipitous rim of Yosemite Valley.

Tuolumne Grove

A lesser-visited sequoia grove in Yosemite National Park.

Mariposa Grove

The largest and most famous grove of giant sequoias in Yosemite National Park.